Alexander of Macedonia, the pupil of Aristotle, is known throughout the world as Alexander the Great. He had been through many battles and conquered many portions of the world. Ever since his first victory at age 18, he has not lost a single battle. 

Any battle means the murder of people from the enemy clan with the risk of deaths from one’s own army and yet, people from the past used to go extensively into battle with one another. It could be over some feud, to expand their territories or like Alexander the Great did – to attempt to rule over the world. He had a reputation for leading his men with impressive speed, allowing smaller forces to reach and break enemy lines before his foes were ready. 

His wish to conquer the world did succeed to a great extent. After securing his kingdom in Greece in 334 B.C., he crossed into Asia (present-day Turkey) and won a series of battles with the Persians under Darius III. He believed that it wouldn’t do to just rule over the Persians and so tried to imbibe their culture as well. His dress was inspired by theirs. He even performed a mass marriage ceremony to force his men to take Persian wives. He himself took two Persian wives in this ceremony as well.

Alexander’s fighting force consisted of 15,000 strong Macedonian soldiers, whose units held off the sword-wielding Persians with 20 foot-long pikes called sarissa. 

A habit of Alexander was to name the places he won through conquests after his own name. The most famous of these was founded at the mouth of the Nile in 331 BC. It is today the second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria. There are more than 70 cities named after him and these can be traced from Alexander’s advances from Turkey to Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan.

In his conquest to India, which was his most expensive victory, he founded the city of Bucephala, named after his favourite horse who was mortally wounded in battle. This town is situated on the Jhelum river today, in Pakistan.

Historians even say that Alexander the Great had an inner goal to succeed his father in a grand manner and prove his worth to him. This made Alexander strive to do better. It was unfortunate that he died young.

It may have saved the lives of thousands of those who might have perhaps been in a battle with or against him, but then warfare in society had gone on till ages afterwards with even other rulers as the norm, for which Alexander cannot be wholly blamed.